they need to sign this guy long term and with no problems for Two reasons. One he is our best player and two the rep of the Jets front office has not been very good latley. They need to clean up there act.
This is a reasonable approach. Not nearly as knee-jerk as some people can be these days. It is obviously very anxiety-producing not to have some aggressive football every week. It's too early for FA to negotiate and/or sign up, and though the Draft is 61 days away, that's all everybody's talking about at the Combine, so naturally we should be crazy with the "paralysis" of the FO's opening gambits with our tried and true guys. ...Makes sense. ...Have a valium?
it will get done I think that they will get it done, its early I think that everyone will be happy at the end of the day
Everyone's main issue here seems to be maintaining Rhodes' contractual obligation to the Jets. "Don't worry, he's under contract, we can franchise him if need be, etc." That's the 1830's plantation owner's way of looking at it. Players tend to get a little irritated when they're treated like indentured servants. (Who knows why). Remember that above all else, the NFL, the New York Jets- they're companies. And nobody wants to work for a company that doesn't value it's employees. People want job security. They want to know where their family is going to live in three years. The franchise tag (which many of you speak of as if it were some "get out of jail free" card to be used at will and with no ill consequences) sucks for players. Yes, it's a top five payday. But it's one year. If a player happens to go on IR that year, do you think their team, or any other team is going to sign him to a fair contract? "Raaargh!!! It's part of the job!!! They're being paid millions!!! If I had a million dollars I'd never complain!!! Shut up and play football and entertain me!!!! They're lucky they're being paid at all!!! Raargh!!!" Income is relative, but the desire for job security is universal. The best companies succeed over the long term by valuing their employees. That's how Google does it, that's how the Pittsburgh Steelers do it. The message the New York Jets send when they don't sign guys who have been loyal employees like Pete Kendall, Laveranues Coles and Kerry Rhodes is this: "We are not a company you want to work for."
Does anyone remember the specific interaction between Belichick and Rhodes following the Week 15 game? They had an embrace, subsequently followed by Belichick whispering something in his ear. I think as we get closer to the end of his contract, it would not surprise me if New England entered the picture as a leading candidate for Rhodes' services.
When will anyone get it? The JETS are a cheap ass franchise who refuse to pay anyone. They don't renegotiate and if you ask to they treat you like an outcast who is a cancer to the team. We let all our young, good players leave. Why? Because we refuse to pay them! What a joke. and btw, The sky HAS fallen on us for years. We are now entering the black fuckin hole!
Many teams use the franchise tag in an attempt to buy them more time while they work out a long term deal, very few just tag a player in order to leave him under the tag for a single season. I would also hope we would be attempting to sign rhodes long term in that extra month window before he has to sign the tender.
